Rating of
4/4
The best film of the year!
newmans_own - wrote on 11/10/07
A brilliant film, due mainly in part to the astounding performances, especially from Bardem and Jones. As Chigurh, Bardem is at once terrifying and hilarious. His mannerisms in his interactions with various local folk and his night-stalking of Moss do not change, but once he reveals his weapon (maybe the most chill-inducing prop ever) his dry comic timing becomes serious, silent and horrifying. Jones is equally as impressive; he imbues his character with a weary, melancholy air that also proves hilarious and heart-wrenching. He delivers most of his lines with a dry bent that get most of the film’s laughs, yet when he muses about his own life, the film enters its most meaningful parts.
Aside from the suspenseful sequences with Chigurh, the film is a very muted affair; people never raise their voices when speaking to each other and nothing, not the rumbling of outside traffic, not even Carter Burwell’s score seems to intrude on it. This is what makes the suspense sequences all the more effective; no matter how much it may be hinted, the sudden bursts of noise (a lock popping out, a car exploding, etc.) always get a start from the viewer, eventually leading them into a state of tension that they cannot escape from.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is a harrowing experience, leaving the viewer in a state of shock by its finish. It isn’t gratuitous at all; in fact the most intriguing parts of the film come from what we’re not shown. The film is an experience not to be missed. It is, without a doubt, a crowning achievement for the Coen Brothers.
****
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
